Eight Irish Bishops had survived the great storm, and the King with Ormonde and Clarendon beside him ventured to fill the vacancies without waiting for an Irish Parliament. Papists, Presbyterians, and Sectaries were all alike powerless against the Royalist reaction. Bramhall was named for translation to the primacy very soon after the Restoration, and early in 1661 every see was provided for. Two Archbishops and ten Bishops were consecrated in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on January 27, and this unique ceremony was no doubt very impressive.
‘All the orders of the kingdom,’ wrote the new Primate to Ormonde, ‘Justices, Council, Convention, Army, City, graced it with their presence.’ The anthem was supplied by the Dean, William Fuller afterwards Bishop of Lincoln, who sang in very tolerable verse of the essential unity of Church and Crown. Jeremy Taylor, who had been over two years in Ireland, was now Bishop of Down and preached the sermon. Henry Jones of Clogher, who had been Oliver’s scoutmaster-general, was not allowed, or was perhaps too penitent to lay on hands, but held a Bible and presented it to the Primate. Taylor had no doubts about the claims of episcopacy, but in another sermon preached three months later he practically describes his own not very enviable position among the Ulster nonconformists: ‘says the papist, "I will not obey the protestant kings, because, against the word of God, they command me to come to church where heresy is preached"; "and I will not acknowledge the bishops," saith the presbyterian, "because they are against the discipline and sceptre of Jesus Christ"; and the independent hates parochial meetings, and is wholly for a gathered church, and supposes this to be the practice apostolical; "and I will not bring child to baptism," saith the anabaptist, "because God calls none but believers to that sacrament"; "and I will acknowledge no clergy, no lord, no master," saith the quaker, "because Christ commands us to ‘call no man master on the earth, and be not called of men rabbi.’" And if you call upon these men to obey the authority God had set over them, they tell you with one voice, with all their hearts, as far as the word of God will give them leave; but God is to be obeyed and not man, and therefore if you put the laws in execution against them, they will obey you passively, because you are stronger, and so long as they know it they will not stir against you; but they in the meantime are little less than martyrs, and you no better than persecutors.’[8]
Attempts to enforce uniformity.
Nonconformists were now officially styled fanatics, and Mountrath suggested that the King should make 100,000l. by excluding them from the benefit of the new settlement. Orrery was less extreme or less outspoken, but both he and Eustace were willing to give Bramhall a free hand. Only five days before the great consecration a proclamation was issued against Papists, Presbyterians, Independents, Anabaptists, Quakers, and other fanatical persons. Conventicles were prohibited, the bishops being charged to see that the sheriffs and justices did their duty, while military officers were ordered to support them. Another proclamation provided for the commemoration of King Charles the Martyr on January 30, and a third for the prosecution of Tories as traitors unless they surrendered before February 18, in which case those who had not committed murder might be received to mercy on giving security for good behaviour. It was found possible to reduce the army by 1,650 men and a proportionate number of officers during the first twelve months after the Restoration, but to do this 50,000l. had to be transmitted from England. These men no doubt were paid in full, but when that was done eight months of new and fifteen months of old arrears were due to those that remained under arms. It was time to summon a parliament.[9]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Declaration of the General Convention of Ireland, &c., newly brought over by a gentleman to the Council of State in England, London, 1660; Mercurius Politicus, 612 (Needham’s last number). Broghill reached Dublin on February 23, which occasioned much joy. Colonel Marcus Trevor to Ormonde, April 17 and 18, 1660, in Carte Transcripts, R.O., vol. xxx. Budgell’s Memoirs of the Boyles, 85-87, 3rd edition, 1737. Budgell was a disreputable person, but can scarcely have invented the story about Coote’s letter.
[2] Declaration of the General Convention of Ireland (dated March 12, 1659-60) with the late proceedings there, newly brought over by a gentleman to the Council of State in England, London, 1660; Ordinance of the General Convention ‘for speedy raising of money,’ April 24, 1660, in Marsh’s Library, Dublin; Lord Aungier to Ormonde, May 11, 1660, in Carte’s Original Letters; Declaration of General Convention, May 1, 1660, London and Dublin, 1660 (broadside); Proclamation of General Convention for proclaiming Charles II. (broadside), London and Dublin.
[3] Letter of Toby Bonnell, May 16, 1660, in English Hist. Review for January 1904.
[4] As a sample of the way in which Coote and Bury agreed to differ see their joint letter of October 4, 1660, in Cal. of State Papers, Ireland; Patrick Adair’s True Narrative, p. 236; Clarendon’s Life, Cont., pp. 124, 229; Eustace to Nicholas, October 3, 1660; Humble desires presented to His Majesty by the Commissioners of the General Convention, MS. Trin. Coll., June 20 and 21, 1600.
[5] Clarendon’s Life, Cont., pp. 125-128, 197-199; State Papers, Ireland, December 18 and 19, 1660. The instructions to Robartes calendared at July 1660 really belong to 1669.